A number of movie industry journalists from Australia and New Zealand were in Paris from November 16 through 19 to meet with actors and directors from French films that are soon to be released in Oceania.
Since some of the media groups requested postponing their representatives' visit Paris due to the tragic events of November 13, it was a reduced group of guests who attended the customary annual Australia and New Zealand press junket, with four journalists present this year: Fiona Williams from SBS TV, Dominic Corry from The New Zealand Herald, Cara Nash from Pivot Pictures, and Philippa Hawker from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. This event gave them the opportunity to take part in four days of interviews with 21 French artists from films scheduled for upcoming release in Australia and New Zealand:
Guillaume Nicloux (Valley of Love), Caterina Murino (The Squad), Bruno Podalydès (The Sweet Escape), Maïwenn (Mon roi), Samuel Benchetrit (Macadam Stories),
Jérôme Le Maire (Premiers crus), Vincent Lindon (The Measure of a Man and The White Knights), Marina Foïs and Martin Bourboulon (Daddy or Mommy), Mélanie Bernier (Blind Date), Raphaël Jacoulot (Heatwave), Agnès Jaoui (The Sweet Escape), François Favrat (Boomerang), Tchéky Karyo (Belle & Sebastian, the Adventure Continues...), Jacques Audiard (Dheepan), Catherine Frot (Marguerite), Denis Dercourt (In Harmony), Jean-François Richet (Un moment d'égarement), Éric Lartigau (The Bélier Family), Catherine Corsini (Summertime), and Finnegan Oldfield (Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)).
It is also worth noting that The Bélier Family will be the next French film to benefit from a simultaneous release in Australia and New Zealand on December 26, with its scheduled launch in 50 theaters orchestrated by the local distributor Palace Films.
Organized in collaboration with the audiovisual department of the French Embassy in Australia, the Australia-New Zealand press junket hosted by UniFrance films is also an occasion for the French artists present to record a short promotional trailer and presentations for the 27th Alliance Française French Film Festival (AFFF) in Australia, an event that takes place each year in spring. This five-week traveling festival tours the country's Alliance Française network, which has a strong presence in Australia, with over 30 branches spread between Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
This annual festival serves as an excellent showcase and launching platform for around 40 French films, including co-productions, with the majority of titles gaining commercial release following the event.
Attracting record audiences last year of 160,000 spectators, this festival has now stamped itself as one of the key movie events in Australia, and now ranks as the world's second biggest French film festival.
Last year, French films achieved one of their best performances to date in Australia, registering close to 1.9 million admissions in theaters and the equivalent of €18 million in box office revenues.
In connection with this news
Movies(20)
Events(1)
The Alliance Française French Film Festival - 2015
Feature film and short film festival
Australia
from
to
